This is our second time coming to Merai and it's still such a stellar spot. I absolutely adore their Taro Fries and Hot Dog! They are both unique and executed well. It's very impressive how easily they can elevate bar classics. The staff are also very sweet and professional. They are always willing to provide concise explanations of the menu and their own personal recommendations that never fail to impress. read more

Merai - Hot Dog - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Nice dinner, pleasant ambiance, overall fine experience! We came here with reservations for an earlier dinner and were seated quickly. The space is small, but quaint. Menu has a good mix of sharables, albeit pretty expensive. We got a few to share amongst the 3 of us and appreciated the variety. Portions however were quite small which had us leaving not super full. Food itself was solid - on the higher end in terms of quality, but due to the lacking size, it was a bit disappointing. Their drinks were fantastic though - I recommend trying their cocktails. Overall, we had a nice meal, but I won't go out of my way to come back. read more

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Wowza! This crazy, fun restaurant knocked my socks off. I thought it couldn't get any better than Mahaniyom, but Merai takes both the food and the dining experience to another level. We loved the music, lively atmosphere, and fantastic service as much as the killer food. The menu features an entire page of imaginative cocktails, each artfully prepared and presented. The Strawberry Cheesecake is one of Merai's signatures, and it actually looks like a slice of strawberry cheesecake. We started with the beautifully presented Golden beet salad, which was bursting with flavor from the Thai chili jam dressing, followed by the Grilled Caulilini. Similar to broccolini but from the cauliflower family, it was grilled and served with tomato-tomatillo relish, fish sauce, and finely grated Parmesan. We took the bartender's advice and ordered the signature Hot Dog, made with spicy krapow sausage and served in a toasted bun with salted egg yolk mayo and caramelized basil. I rarely eat meat, but I had to make an exception to try it, and it did not disappoint. I'm not usually a fan of fried food or rice, but I was persuaded to try the Chicken Rice, and all I can say is WOW! Chicken legs are stuffed with garlic rice and fried with caramelized fish sauce, creating a sweet, sticky, and utterly delicious crispy exterior. The chicken must be eaten by hand, and it was truly finger-licking good. I can't recommend Merai highly enough and will definitely be back. It's a small space with both bar and table seating, so your best bet is to reserve ahead. read more

This was my second time here and it was just as good! The service, food and ambiance are all amazing! The chicken rice was my favorite dish but the toffee cake was a close close second. I'd highly recommend Merai! read more

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We went here for late night eats the day before Marathon Monday. The food was more small bar food bites but still shareable. We went with another friend and we all really enjoyed the food. The chicken and rice was a big surprise as it came out as a chicken wing with the rice stuffed into it. The baguettes were perfectly buttery and went well with mussels and red curry. We all enjoyed the spare ribs as well which were so flavorful and smokey. The calamari was crispy with a creamy dipping sauce. As an aside the bathroom was a total trip and way different vibe from the restaurant. Very clean but we all came out and we were like whoa! Totally worthwhile to check out, very enjoyable to chill and have some late night bites! read more

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I was very excited to try Merai after hearing so many good things about Mahaniyum just around the corner but there were some parts that made the dining experience a little uneven. First, I usually love sitting by the bar but the bar seating here was way too tight (I was practically in the lap of the person sitting next to me) and uncomfortable (rickety, plastic high stools with such a tiny shelf for your back that may as well have been backless). The food was generally outstanding. We tried the kale salad, taro fries, crab croquettes, hot dog, and the special rigatoni. Of everything I ordered, the fries were the standout - super crisp, perfect for a snack to go with your drink. I don't know how they achieved the beautiful textured layering on the exterior, maybe by shaving the taro into tiny flecks first and coating each stick in it. Regardless, one of my favorite fry dishes in years. Hot dog was also delicious, truly an elevated take on the standard glizzy, with salted yolk mayo (hello!) and caramelized basil onions. The rigatoni was the only dish I thought we could do without; it was overwhelmingly spicy for me and the taste of the shrimp paste dominated everything else. Noodles could also have been left in the water for a few seconds longer. Also wasn't a fan of the only dessert on the menu, a toffee cake that was too dry. Portion sizes were small enough that I left feeling comfortable instead of stuffed. My "tomato" drink was delicious, I would want to come back and try the others on the cocktail menu. read more

Merai - Special rigatoni dish - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Late night eats spot with full bar! Great setup. The first staff looked abundantly annoyed after we had asked for table seating instead. The second staff member was much kinder. We orders the: taro fries - came with sweet chili dipping sauce these were bangin' The chicken rice - basically fried chicken stuffed with rice! The lady enjoyed that, not my cup of tea tho haha! Crab croquettes these had bunch of crab in them and you can taste it. The sauce it came with had a nice flavor paired well with slight spicy crab curry! I had the hot dog, a well grilled sausage with salted egg mayo! krapow style. Hella dark inside, but they have those dinner table battery lights plus our phone lights so it's good! (To see menu) Parking we grabbed spot right out front! read more

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Cool vibe but noisy here. Food was nicely presented, tasty, fresh ingredients. My favorite was crab croquettes. Portions are small so order several to share. read more

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I was so so excited to try merai! came in for drink and a few small bites. the space is small and has an intimate feel with subtle thai inspired decor. For a drink I started with the sober opera - i loved the lychee foam and it was very smooth. I loved the re-imagined dishes - taking asian classics and making it into fun fusion small bites. i tried the thai nachos - the massaman marinated beef was delicious and paired well with the classic cheese and pico you find on nachos. I also tried the famous hot dog - the marinated onions were delicious, the mustard was yummy, but I wasn't a huge fan of the sausage itself! Overall a fun spot to try for sure. read more

Merai - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

What a spot! My cousin had told us about this place for years, and we finally had a chance to visit, and BOY are we glad we did! The food is phenomenal. It's modern Thai cuisine with punchy and complex flavors that all work together. Beyond that, the service is so friendly and prompt! To top it all off, they play old school hip hop that creates a fun and lively vibe! read more

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Merai was a sleek, sexy, and intriguing restaurant. The dark walls and dim light set the tone for great conversations paired with delicious food. The food offerings were very unique and the flavors danced with my tastes buds. My partner and I ordered several dishes to share. We had the crab croquettes which were fried perfectly golden with delicate and fresh crab meat inside. The curry sauce was the best for the croquette to sop up! We ordered the risotto and I love that it was made with coconut milk. It was so creamy and light, not like a typical risotto. We had one of the specials of the night which was a tom yum bolognese. It was so flavorful and the pasta was cook perfectly. We also ordered the chicken wings which were stuffed with garlic fried rice. Wow, just wow. And we of course had the hotdog. We were blown away by the hotdog!! The caramel used basil onion was our favorite part. It was like a party in your mouth with a sweet kapraw sausage and salted yolk Mayo. This is what hot dog dreams are made of!! We loved all of the food and left no crumbs. We made a reservation for 6PM on a Tuesday and got seated with no problems. Plenty of street parking in the area with lots of shops nearby. read more

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Merai is a Thai fusion "elevated" dive bar in Brookline, & if you're familiar with Mahaniyom, this is their sister restaurant! We came here after grabbing some small bites nearby & were not disappointed. Pretty small restaurant; had a couple 4-seat tables & some bar seating. We ordered a couple dishes to try: -taro fries -crab croquettes -chicken rice (chicken stuffed w/ rice!) -hot dog (krapow sausage w/ salted egg yolk mayo) Wow, all the dishes were a hit! Our favorite was definitely the taro fries. We've never tried taro fries before but OMG, they were sooo good. They had such a perfect crisp to them & paired well with the sweet chili sauce it came with. Chicken rice was very cool & such a unique dish... typically don't see chicken stuffed with rice! Crispy skin & chicken itself was juicy! The hot dog was amazing, as well! Loved the salted yolk mayo... very nice touch. It's made with krapow sausage, which had a slight kick from Thai chilis. The crab croquettes were quite tasty too, highly recommend if you enjoy crab curry! The sauce is coconut curry & went perfectly with the croquettes. We had a lovely & positive dining experience at Merai and look forward to coming here for more dinners or just for drinks (hours of operation: 5pm-1am daily, except for Mondays)! read more

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Great dinner experience at Merai - ordered a variety of dishes but the standouts to me were the tom klung chazhuke (salmon over rice with Thai fish broth fresh pour), shishitos, and smoked duck bao. Drinks were outstanding as well - enjoyed the Sober Opera which is gin based with rose lychee honey foam. Music and vibes were great but there's a very strictly reinforced time limit on your table. read more

Merai - Sober Opera - gin based with rose lychee honey film - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Some of the best food and cocktails I've had in boston. This restaurant blends unique and complex flavors with a cool elevated dive bar atmosphere. We got a reservation for bar seating and we had to wait about 15 minutes for seats to open. The staff was extremely apologetic for the wait and served us our cocktails as we waited. Once seated we had amazing view of craft cocktails being made by skilled bartenders. We started with an amazing hamachi crudo that combined sweet mango puree with lime and spice, making for some amazing bites to start the night. Then we had the onigiri which was packed full of umami and sweetness, paired with herbal pickles. We also got the beet salad which was good but nothing outstanding like other dishes. The highlight of the night was the Tom Klong Chazuke. Tender fresh salmon lightly cooked with a perfect aromatic broth beneath a small bed of rice. It was so comforting and absolutely delicious! Our last dish was the risotto. The Thai spices paired so well with soft mushrooms and creamy risotto. For drinks we had the Tomato and the Sober Opera. Both were so unique and enjoyable. The bartender saw we were eyeing the Strawberry Cheesecake cocktail and made us mini ones to try. To end the night we got the Thai tea flan with miso caramel, which further solidified the theme of the restaurant having unique well balanced flavors. All of the dishes came very quickly without making us feel rushed. Definitely a Boston must try. I cannot wait to return to try more of the dishes here. read more

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Merai is a place of great intrigue. It is the sister or cousin of some slightly more famous restaurant in the greater Boston area, but that is not for me to comment on. I arrived with my party of three for a late dinner reservation. We were admittedly put off by our table being given away to a group of selfish wanderers without a reservation who walked in at the same time as us. And so we were delayed by approximately 15 minutes. I was not pleased but I was also not devastated. Life goes on. We did sample several cocktails from Merai's eclectic drink menu. I ordered one whose name I forget, but which tasted like the Trader Joe's tomato leaf candle. It was intriguing, although I can't say I would order it again. I also took suckles of several other cocktails on the menu, all interesting although none blew my mind to smithereens. Food was shared among the three of us. We tried the chicken sandwich, crab croquettes, a raw salmon over rice dish, nachos, and a pasta dish. The chicken sandwich was delicious--I could have eaten it in its entirety by my lonesome self. I was perturbed by the salmon dish. It consisted of raw salmon over rice, and the server poured a pot of broth over it at the table. I am generally skeptical of broth, and I believe my skepticism proved to be founded in this case. I found this dish to not be pleasant. The pasta dish (I think it was rigatoni) had pork in it but was very fishy in flavor. It was good but not great. The restaurant was very loud. It was possible to hear the others at my table, but it was certainly not a relaxing ambience. The prices are more or less in line with what you'd expect for a restaurant of this type. Not cheap eats. I would return once in a while, although perhaps would not seek Merai out. read more

What a great find. We needed some late night (11pm) eats after a concert and we discovered Merai. Instead of settling for a slice of pizza, we ended up with one of the best meals. We had grilled hamachi collar with a lovely spicy tamarind/garlic dusting, the chicken rice (chicken wings stuffed with garlic fried rice and double fried), a kale salad with a spicy sweet pistachio dressing and roasted pumpkin, and their hot dog - decadently served on a brioche bun, salted yolk topping. We could have easily eaten our way through the whole menu. The cocktail menu was beyond. If you want an incredibly tasty and innovative Thai meal, come here. read more

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I'm visiting from Chicago, and I wish we had a restaurant like Merai. All drinks and food items we ordered here were fantastic- particularly the taro fries and my drink, the sober opera. I personally think the hot dog (which they recommend to all customers) was not stand out and would not order it again. All in all great ambiance and would come back. Good value for the money and great service. read more

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From the same team as Mahaniyom comes Merai. You can really tell they're part of the same family. Merai has the same Asian fusion-y small plate idea with a fun drink menu. I would say Merai leans more into the fusion side of things, whereas Mahaniyom stays more Asian. I tried two drinks which were delightful, as well as the chazuke, hot dog, pork ribs, and mussels. It seems like the hot dog is one of their most popular dishes, and for good reason! It was fresh, juicy, flavorful, and the bread was buttery and crispy. Everything else was tasty as well. I think Merai would be a great place to grab a drink with a friend or go on a date. Low key, fun, and yummy. read more

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Went here with my husband on a Tuesday night to celebrate. I was surprised just how busy they were. We were sat at the bar, which I tend to like as you can chat with others and watch the concoctions being made. My one complaint was that the barstools were so close together I couldn't even get in and out. However the drinks and food made up for that. I had a very refreshing drink made with tequila. We had the fries which were to die for, I ate more than my share. We shared the delicious kale salad and the risotto. My husband topped off his experience with the hotdog. I topped off mine with the strawberry cheesecake drink. I highly recommend this place even if you're just going for drinks. read more

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Merai has been a restaurant I've been wanting to try for a while and it didn't disappoint! I was fortunate that I got a reservation for the next day, but they're usually booked. The restaurant itself is very fun. It's dark and cozy and the service was great. There is always someone checking in to make sure that the table is taken care of. My table ordered a couple different items and they were all really good. The drinks are also unique and really well done as well. I think my favorite item was surprisingly the kale salad. I don't normally like kale, but the texture was soft and the dressing was very good too. The mussels were also very flavorful as well. Overall all the food was great and I can't wait to go back. read more

Merai - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Small little Thai-inspired tapas restaurant known for their drinks. Walk in seating available at the bar. The dishes we chose were all tasty, our favorite was probably the salmon and rice in soup. Worth getting an extra side of bread for the mussels to really soak up all the sauce. I had marked that it was for a birthday in the original reservation and we did not order any dessert, but they were kind to surprise us with complimentary birthday shots of tequila. Hojicha inspired cocktail did not taste very strongly of hojicha, which was our only criticism for the meal. read more

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We went out for a date night and really enjoyed Merai! It was a cute little spot in Brookline with amazing Asian fusion food and great service! We had the hot dog, yuk hoe, taro fries, and chicken fried rice. The chicken was definitely the best thing we had - wished they gave us more! read more

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I've heard a lot about this restaurant through Instagram and decided to finally check it out. Note that this review is specifically for their Fettucine Kao Soi. This restaurant is right down the street from their sister restaurant, Mahaniyom, which I have been a fan of for years. They do not have a parking lot, but there is street parking. Once you walk into the restaurant, most of its seating is on the right, and the bar is on the left side of the restaurant. It's dimly lit, and they have candles at every table. It was about a 30-minute wait for a table on a Sunday night, with the estimation being an hour for a table. We had previously gotten some food at another restaurant and made room to finish the night with Merai's longly awaited and popular Fettucine Kao Soi. The portion was surprisingly small for both the amount of pasta and chicken. As for the sauce, it tasted slightly like kao soi, but mostly tasted like rose pasta with chicken for the most part. Nothing very outstanding taste-wise, so the pretty presentation threw me off. I had high expectations since it was all the rage, so I'm sad to say it was a let down for me. I can imagine that for a table for 2, you would have to order a good number of dishes to get full, considering the portions are all fairly small. read more

Merai - Menu - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Merai, a cozy small space is instantly welcoming. The vibes are just right for a small intimate gathering of 2-4 people. All the drinks were amazing but my favorite was the silky way. It has such a complex flavor that I can't really pinpoint and it's refreshing to taste at the end. The sober opera was also very unique especially the lychee honey foam which pops in your mouth. The food complimented the drinks super well but unfortunately by the time we arrived they sold out/didn't have a lot of items we wanted to try. The hotdog was unlike anything i've ever tried and the salted egg mayo was soooo good. The curry in the pot pie was so creamy and delicious and you can ask for more bread since the roti is pretty thin. Such a cool fusion restaurant with blends of flavors. Definitely have to try the rest of the things on the menu next time! read more

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Everything was so good! Still dreaming about the pork dumplings, which were supple, juicy, and incredibly flavorful. Big fan of the Yukhoe and Fettuccini as well. The rice coated on the Yukhoe was similar to laarb and I really enjoyed the concept. The Fettuccini was my favorite dish! The noodles held so much flavor and I was impressed with how similar it tasted to the authentic noodle dish. Hotdog was surprisingly good. The bread was big and buttery. Thai sausage was juicy and extremely flavorful. Also enjoyed their Strawberry Cheesecake drink, which tasted just like a dessert! read more

I got a reservation at Merai for my birthday and had a really great experience! To start off, they have a very nice cocktail list with the option to get some of them as mocktails. I ordered the plum mocktail and it was so refreshing and delicious. The restaurant has various tapas style dishes and we ordered 6 dishes total for a group of 5 girls: the kale salad, the mussels, 2 chicken rice, the risotto, and the taro fries. All the dishes were so delicious and easy to share, but the chicken rice was probably my favorite one. Our server was very nice and patient with us as we took a while to order. She also picked up on the fact that it was my birthday and surprised us with a round of free mocktail shots! The shots were their strawberry cheesecake drink and very delicious. We wrapped up the dinner but sharing their toffee cake dessert which was also very good. As for the ambiance and space inside, it was pretty cozy with nice mood lighting and we got seated at a table by the window which was well spaced from the bar and the other tables. read more

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We love Merai's sister restaurant so we definitely had to come try this place out. The space is trendy but still comfortable and intimate. The music never got too loud either. The two of us split the Taro Fries, Cold Noodles, Bao Bun, and the Hot Dog. Standouts were definitely the fries and hot dog. I loved the crispy textures of the fries and hot dog bun. Service was friendly and the food came out relatively quickly. I would definitely come back! Probably best for parties of two since the portions are meant to be shared. read more

Merai - Thai Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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There's just something about Merai & Mahoniyom (Meria's sister restaurant) that I just don't click with. I got to try about 85% of the menu here and was honestly not blown away by anything. Many of the dishes lacked salt. You got great spices like Tumeric, chili, curry, ginger but not salt. The shrimp tempura was my favorite dish, it was fried well and the sauce was good. The flan was a close second. All the other dishes had issues that made me not a fan like the fettuccine was overcooked, the risotto was too sweet, the chicken was stuffed with too much rice, the dumpling was very average, the taro fries while crispy and was under seasoned, the broth in the mussels was too bland, etc. read more

I was looking forward to Mahaniyom's sister restaurant, but this place is a little disappointing--or maybe I have higher expectations. The menu is an Asian fusion (Thai - Korean), and the food and drinks are neither hit nor miss. HOJICHA $15 - friend's favorite SOBER OPERA $15 - delicious and unique WONKA'S TICKET $15 - pretty strong STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE $15 - wrong choice, the cheese form is not what I expected, I was hoping it taste like the cheese form in bubble tea Taro fries are $8. They are crispy on the outside and soft inside, and somehow, they taste better than French fries. Yukhoe $19 - the laab spices are too much, I prefer the Korean version, which has a lighter and sweeter taste. Onigiri $7 - the fillings taste like the sticky rice in dim sum restaurants. Cold noodles: $17 - my favorite, Tom Yum, is not too strong, and the noodles are chewy. It is refreshing and perfect for summer. (MUST ORDER) Hot dog $18 - overpriced, it is spicy, and the sausage was juicy, but I can't taste the salted yolk mayo. Chicken rice $17 - the wings are crispy, and they stuffed the garlic rice which was a little bland. Fettuccini $22 - the pasta is okay with khao soi (curry and coconut sauce) but the chicken thigh is on the drying side. Flan $9 - strong Thai tea flavor and not too sweet, but the coconut ice cream was not creamy. read more

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Was very excited to try Merai. The hamachi was fresh and zingy. The thai wings were nice and crisp as well. Loved the thai ranch. The tom yum chicken sandwich and Merai hot dog were both very good but just very heavy. Cool cocktails as well. Very small restaurant and dark inside. Was not wowed by anything so not sure if I would go back. read more

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I did a walk-in at Merai and was able to get seated at the bar. Heads up, the sit down tables seem to be reservation only. The vibe was lively, but the bar area was a bit loud and cramped... so I'd definitely recommend booking ahead if you want a more relaxed experience. We ordered the taro fries, chicken fettuccine, and yukhoe. The taro fries were super crispy and thick, served with a sweet dipping sauce. The chicken fettuccine was rich and creamy, and the chicken was very tender. My favorite was the yukhoe which came with juicy marinated raw beef, fresh cucumber, and a runny egg on top. Everything tasted super fresh and flavorful Overall, the food was delicious and the service was good. Merai is definitely worth checking out, especially if you can get a reservation! read more

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Knowing Merai is a sibling restaurant of a nearby awesome Thai restaurant, I had to try this place out!! My impression of the dishes was that there was a wide variety of tapas to try out and they were all different in their own ways. UNIQUE DISHES: * Yukhoe - memorable dish, meat is well-seasoned! * Risotto - quirky in a good way w/ coconut taste * Taro Fries - good layer of crunchiness with a softer texture of the taro inside. The thai dipping sauce was a perfect addition to the taste GOOD: * Fettucine - I like the khao soi and fettuccine fusion here. * Mussels - can't go wrong with the mussels with a strong basil taste * Tom Yum cold noodle soup - you know this is good when the ice is flavored so it won't dilute the soup! OKAY (good, and could also get in other places): * Buffalo Wings - good amount of sauce and dip * Shrimp Tempura - the shrimps were pretty large! The service was great. Even though they gave us a bottle of water at the table to pour ourselves, the waiters still came by to check in and made sure our cups were filled! The bathroom has its own character too! Very catchy Thai music with a nice mural all around the room. It's very colorful in there - worth checking out Make sure to make reservation as the room gets full fast. We booked for 5:45 and the room was full by 6! read more

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We've heard lots of great things about this place, so our expectations were high and it did not disappoint! The food was delicious and flavorful, and the portions were surprisingly large. It is a bit loud inside, making it hard to carry a conversation with someone sitting directly across from you. What we ordered: Cold noodles ($17) - refreshing take on classic tom yum flavors Mussels ($18) - savory but not the most memorable Hot dog ($18) - the sausage was so juicy and a unique flavor that we haven't had in hot dog form before Fettuccini ($22) - one of our favorites. The noodles were cooked well and paired so well with the khao soi sauce read more

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Merai really blew my mind. Creative cocktails, delicious food, and a great small bar vibe. What we ate: - Kale Salad: Must get - Cold Noodles: really good - Hot Dog: Must get - Taro Fries: Must get - Shrimp Tempura: ok - Fettuccine w/ Lobster: Must get if you like Lobster. Pretty much everything start to finish was amazing. We started with the Melon and Lucky Sunny cocktails. Melon was fruity and refreshing, while Lucky Sunny was a sweet slow sipper. Highly recommend both. The only dish we wouldn't get again was the Shrimp Tempura. It was good but nothing special. The Kale Salad and Taro Fries were surprisingly two of our favorite items. read more

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Kind of like a Thai tapas place. So tasty and full of flavor! The dumplings were perfectly cooked with a very appropriately spicy sauce. Taro fries were maybe my favorite thing - YUM! Slightly chewy and dense, perfectly fried on the outside! The chicken sandwich and hot dog were both also super delicious. Ended with the tiramisu - which also was divine! Overall, I highly recommend! They are also super speedy and good at getting you in and out quickly! read more

Small and cozy bar with a gorgeous interior design perfect for a date night or drinks with friends. The portions here are perfect and the drinks are delicious. While I was here they were holding a small social featuring special drinks. The service was really amazing. They did have 2 mocktail options available while I was there for anyone staying sober. The food was delicious, my only complaint was that my risotto seemed a little undercooked but they were able to take care of that. Convenient location, tasty food and drinks; I'll definitely be back. read more

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A must-try new restaurant in Boston! We made reservations a few days in advance and had an absolutely fantastic experience dining here. Drinks: The Kakagroni was a fun play on a classic Negroni. The Strawberry Cheesecake blew us away - it was so delicious, creative, and exactly reminiscent of a strawberry cheesecake but in a drink form. Food: -Yukhoe: High quality beef with plenty of crispy accompanying vegetables. -Cold noodles: Innovational take on cold noodles with a tom yum soup base. Very savory and tasty. -Chicken rice: The flavor and texture of the chicken was spot on and addictively crunchy. A great textural contrast as each chicken was stuffed generously with sticky garlic rice. -Fettuccini: One of our favorite foods is khao soi, and this dish did not disappoint! -Hot dog: Saving the best for last, the hot dog was unexpectedly amazing. I was thinking other reviewers might be hyping it up, but it was actually our favorite dish of the night! The sausage was so juicy and the bread was perfectly buttered. Combined with the salted yolk mayo - I would eat this again and again. For dessert we had the Thai tea flan. Delicious! It had incredible texture, was not too sweet, and was dreamily paired with some kind of coconut ice cream/sorbet on top. We can't wait to return. The wait staff are friendly, the decor and seating has great vibes, and their drink and food menus are so innovative and fun. 5/5 experience. read more

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What a lovely experience! Their dishes (and drinks) are innovative, unique, and a great medley of flavors. I'd recommend making reservations ahead of time because the space is small and I'm sure a lot of ppl will want to come try this place. A breakdown of our meal: - Mussels were tender however the hero of the dish was definitely the sauce! Super rich flavor with a small kick of spice -- perfect pairing to the bread they provide. - Cold noodles were such a surprising delight. The broth tastes like tom yum and it's a super refreshing and unexpected flavor palette. Personally one of my favorite dishes of the night. - Yukhoe was soft and flavored well. The bread was once again a core component of this dish, acting as a great vehicle to deliver the beef tartare. - Fettuccine was packed with flavor, but what really got me was the perfectly cooked chicken. So tender but also has a crispy skin! - The flan and ice cream was a great way to end the meal. Once again, unexpected flavors that work really well together. Definitely worth a try! Overall, the food was very yummy. Presentation, service, and taste were all great. The only thing to keep in mind is that this restaurant is at a higher price point, but for the quality of the food, I think it's worth a splurge every so often! read more

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Funny to see a restaurant open another location so close to the original. I've been to Mahaniyom before and their menu is a bit more traditional thai food. I would say Merai is more experimental. I mean they have a freaking hot dog on their menu lol. It's a pretty small but intimate space with the host desk at the end of the hallway sized restaurant. All of the staff did a great job at always checking in with us and making sure that we got our orders in and if we needed anything else. The music choice was impeccable. I arrived into the restaurant with a song from the Black Panther album playing. Throughout the night the music playlist was great songs that I would just LOVE to hear at a boston bar/club instead of the same 5 songs. My guest was vegan so I wasn't too sure what we would get since the majority of their menu is meat based but it was great to know the servers were very skilled in providing recommendations on what to get and how they can make some dishes differently. It had been a long and stressful week so time to get some drinks!! My two favorite drinks were definitely strawberry cheesecake and silk way. The first cocktail was a very subtle sweetness despite what you would expect from the name. The silky way had a very healthy feel to it but it ended off on a note of sweetness. Now to the food, I had the hot dog all to myself and learned that this is NOT for a solo dinner. First, the sausage is thick, filled with spices and has a nice kick to it. I can imagine that with splitting plates you could share this with 3-4 people because the flavor and taste is so rich that you just need a little. Taro fries were very crispy and had a texture similar to having a hash brown. We didn't skip dessert.... When I bit into the tiramisu the flavor was immediate. Strong but not too overwhelming. I kept going back for more. Overall, fun night I would say personally I prefer Mahaniyom but this is a fun place to get drinks and apps and vibe. I did not get to try as many things as planned though so will need to come back and get more meat based items. What we got Hot dog Taro fries Hojicha cocktail Strawberry cheesecake cocktail Silky way cocktail Sober opera cocktail Kopimisu $$ Food 7 Atmosphere 8 Service 8 read more

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Merai is a great addition to the neighborhood that offers Thai dishes with bold and fun flavors. LOCATION: Plenty of street parking and right off the Brookline Village stop! The restaurant is very intimate so I'd avoid coming in with a large group. This is a perfect date night or double date location. RESERVATIONS: I highly recommended making reservations! My group of 4 tried to make a resy on a Sunday but earliest time was 8:30 so we ended up walking in at 5pm just as it opened and was seated right away. We were told that we needed to finish by 6:15 as there was another party right after us that reserved a table but we were more than fine with it and appreciated the heads up. DRINKS: We ordered the Melon, Sober Opera, Wonka's Ticket, and a mocktail version of Strawberry Cheesecake. Even though it was a mocktail, I loved the strawberry cheesecake! The cheese foam really complimented the drink well. FOOD: The 4 of us shared the Yukhoe, Cold Noodles, Hot Dog, Chicken Rice, Fettuccine, and the Thai Tea Flan. All of the dishes were very unique and delicious! Yukhoe: Beef Tartare paired perfectly with the sweet shredded pear. The dish comes with 3 slices of toast. It was absolutely delicious! Cold Noodles: The cold noodles are soaked in tom yum soup and comes with shrimp and an egg. One of the favorites of the group! Hot Dog: This dish really surprised me! The krawpaw sausage had a great snap and the salted egg yolk mayo was perfect. This was one of my favorites of the night. Chicken Rice: Three pieces of chicken drumsticks stuffed with rice. The chicken was soaked in honey and perfectly cooked. We felt that the rice needed to be more flavorful as it was a little bland. Fettuccine: The sauce is spicy but good. You can order the dish with either chicken or lobster. We opted with the chicken and made the right choice - the chicken was cooked perfectly and nicely charred. Thai Tea Flan: This was a recommended dessert and so we ended up ordering it to try. There was a mild thai tea flavor but it also reminded us a bit of pumpkin pie. SERVICE: Fantastic service all around! read more

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